The Apprentice 2015's walker: 'I wasn't going to get fired - I could have made the final two'

The Apprentice star Scott Saunders has revealed that he didn't quit because he feared he would get fired - because he thinks he would have made the final.

Scott sensationally quit during tonight's episode of the show, even though his team had won this week's estate agent task.

But he told Digital Spy today that he didn't think he was close to getting fired, saying: "From me being put to the test in previous tasks, I think I was very strong in many different aspects of the task that we did, and I've proven that.

"I can't do everything right – I don't think anyone can, it's just ridiculous to think that. But I think I had the skills and I've proved those skills to everybody and Lord Sugar, that I had what it took to get into the final two."

Scott revealed that he stands by his decision - though he admitted that he feels like he has "disappointed" fans who were rooting for him to win.

And he confirmed that he made the decision to go in the Boardroom, saying: "It was thought out, but it was in the Boardroom thought out. I had no intention of leaving prior to me going into the Boardroom.

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"But after Karren and Lord Sugar had spoken to me about my performance and they spoke to the other team on their performance, I'd come to the conclusion that I didn't want to be in the process anymore, and that was still solid. I didn't just do it willy nilly and I wasn't being a diva about it – it was a thought-out decision."

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Scott confessed that he partially decided to go because of the harsh way Lord Sugar spoke to him about his performance in the task, suggesting that he had "pushed it just a little bit too far".

"I think maybe how he interacted with me and some of the comments he said, one after the other, it did impact my decision a bit," he said. "At that point I thought, 'If I'm feeling like this now, what would it be like if it was something he disagreed with in the business that I was doing?' And doing business should be fun and free. So I kind of thought, 'This isn't what I want any more – we're not a good fit'.

"It's a 50/50 partnership, it's a really big thing, and people might think I'm crazy not to do it but you have to have a solid connection and fit, and I don't think we both really wanted it, to be honest. So I didn't really want to waste anybody's time."

And he insisted that he's not a quitter, saying: "I'd prefer it to be seen as I went for a new opportunity in other directions and I exited the process because it wasn't for me. There's nothing wrong with holding your hands up and saying, 'I don't think this is for me'. You don't have to take every opportunity that's offered to you, if that makes sense. I'm not a quitter."

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Scott also revealed that he would like to reach out to Lord Sugar to "show my respects and thank him for the opportunity" but revealed that he keeps in touch with "95%" of the other candidates.

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So what did they say about his decision to leave? "They kind of take the piss in a banterish way!" he joked. "They haven't really gone through the ins and outs. I think they respected my decision, and I didn't need to explain that to them because they were part of the process as well, so they could probably pick up on parts of it. But they were shocked because it wasn't something I'd discussed with them."

Oh, and Scott admitted that he found watching himself back during tonight's task "hilarious".

"I like watching myself mess up – I think it's funny," he said. "Especially with the whole, 'Light day and night' thing. I know what I meant – I meant it's nice to look out at the moon! But I thought it was great."

And he insisted he didn't give up at the end when it looked like he was just sitting about, saying: "Up until the last second, I kid you not, [Brett and I] were trying to get a father and son to buy an apartment and we were both at it and then we ran out of time. So we were fighting until the very last minute.

"However, there were parts in there where we were like, 'We've got no-one to see, what do we do?'"

Scott also distanced himself from Selina Waterman-Smith's criticisms of the show, saying her comments are unfair.

"I think the show and the production were absolutely fantastic at all times – nearly all times!" he said. "I was treated very fairly, I was fed and watered when I needed to be, and I think they've done a great job actually because they've got a lot to take on board, a lot to do, a lot to look out for, and they did their best to look out for us at all times, so I was very satisfied."

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